Fireman Al
by BeggarsCan'tBeChoosers
Summary: Ten-year-old Arthur Kirkland finds himself stuck up a tree after following a fairy. Lucky there's a hero around to help him down, hm? AU, USUK
1. Chapter 1

"_Oh… Bother." A small boy, blond hair full of leaves and twigs, large eyebrows furrowed in annoyance over bright green eyes, looked down at the ground, a good eight feet below him, then turned his attention to the tree he sat in. "I don't think I can get back down there, you know." He addressed the air next to him; a small, floating ball of light revealing itself to him alone. Squinting closer, the light resolved itself into a tiny woman, laughing brightly as she flapped gossamer wings._

"_Help is on its way, Arthur." She murmured, voice high-pitched and chiming._

"_Well Help'd better bring a flipping ladder, is all." The boy mumbled, glancing at the road, waiting for 'Help'._

"_Hey!" A voice, bright and cheerful and tinged with that _insufferable_ accent that Arthur had become fed up of within twenty minutes of arriving in this _insufferable_ country on this so far _insufferable_ holiday, drew the young English boy's attention down to the base of the tree, where a grinning blonde kid with an unruly cowlick, a few years younger than Arthur himself by the looks of it, stared up at him. "What ya doin' in that tree, dude?" The kid asked, blinking curious blue eyes. _

"_I'm stuck, you moron." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Look kid, can you go fetch your mum or someone? I need a bloo- a blummin' ladder."_

"_A blummin' ladder?" The boy imitated, then laughed. "You talk funny!"_

"_Bloody great, glad I've amused you, now fetch your mum!" Arthur scowled._

"_No need." The boy grinned again, revealing missing front teeth. "I'm a hero! Just drop and I'll catch you!" He promised, holding his arms out. Arthur looked at him sceptically._

"_Don't be silly, you prat. I'm twice your size."_

"_I'm stronger than I look!" The kid raised his arms a little. "C'mon, just do it! I help my brother out of trees all the time!"_

"_You do?" Arthur hummed, thinking. He glanced at the fairy, who gave him a thumbs up._

"_You'll be fine, Arthur! Would I lie to you?" She giggled. Arthur rolled his eyes. _

"_All the bloody time. You told me there was a sprite in this tree!"_

_She pouted at his accusation. "There is! He's just out today!" She smiled, and floated a little closer. "Trust me, Arthur! Just jump!"_

"_Are you sure?" He glanced nervously at the ground again. "It's quite a fall…"_

"_Who're you talking to? Is there someone else up there that I can't see?" The kid squinted up at him, and Arthur sighed._

"_Okay kid, you'd better flipping catch me, is all!" He called down, before lowering himself, dangling from the tree branch, clinging tightly with both hands, short nails digging into the bark._

"_I will, I will! Relax!" The kid reassured. Arthur screwed his eyes shut tight… And dropped. "See, I told you I'd catch you!" The kid laughed, and Arthur rolled his eyes, standing. He brushed himself off, then offered a hand to help up the boy, still sprawled on the ground. The American bounced up, seemingly not at all bothered by having 95 pounds worth of ten-year-old fall and land on him. "I'm Alfred, by the way! What's your name?"_

"_Arthur Kirkland." The older boy introduced himself. "Sorry about that, I followed a fairy up into the tree because she said there was a sprite in it and-"_

"_A fairy? Cool! Is it the tooth fairy? Only she still owes me a dollar for my front teeth!" Alfred poked his tongue out through the gap. "Fifty cents each!"_

"_That's only about thirty pence." Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I get a pound per tooth." He grinned, smugly. "I guess the fairies just like _me_ better. Or maybe they don't like babies' teeth as much."_

"_I'm not a baby!" Alfred pouted. "I'm six, and I'm a big boy! Mommy says so!"_

"_Well I suppose you did help me out of the tree…" Arthur frowned. "Thank you for that. You say you help your brother out of them a lot?" He tried to think of one of _his_ brothers helping him out of a tree, and failed. They'd probably just point and laugh._

"_Yeah! Of course, Mattie's smaller than me, but I still caught ya okay, didn't I?"_

"_You didn't catch me, Alfred, I landed on you." Arthur replied, dryly. "There's a difference."_

"_Well you didn't hurt yourself, and that's what matters, right?" Alfred continued to grin, unfazed by Arthur's lack of enthusiasm. "I was a hero!" Despite himself, Arthur smiled at the younger boy's cheerful disposition.  
>"Yes… I suppose you were." He ruffled the kid's hair, and promptly found himself being dragged off to play.<em>

_Perhaps the holiday wouldn't be so bad, after all._

**[A/N: Hello. New story. Yes, it's USUK. I will write FrUK or RusAme or something one of these days. Promise. I actually kinda have a craving for Ameripan right now, I don't know why… Normally I only ship Giripan…**

**Anywho. Here. Would you like more? I have more. Alternatively, I could leave it as a one-shot. Up to you C: ]**


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur jerked awake, sitting up and blinking away the last remnants of his dream. How… Odd, for him to remember that moment. He glanced out the window, eyes running over the unfamiliar skyline… Perhaps not so odd. He moved to the edge of his bed, easing his feet into his slippers before walking into the kitchen of his modest apartment to put the kettle on. As he waited for it to boil, he looked out again at the view. His first morning in the city he vaguely remembered from that childhood holiday… His first morning at his new job. He added tealeaves to the teapot, then poured the boiled water over them, getting out a plain blue mug and putting in the milk and sugar whilst he waited for the tea to brew. As he went about this mundane task, he continued to stare blankly out the window, remembering that moment, and the days that followed. He and Alfred had become good friends during Arthur's three-week stay at a farmhouse only ten minutes away from the city in which the Englishman now lived… But that was thirteen years ago, now, and no doubt the smiling boy – now nineteen, Arthur calculated quickly – had grown up and moved on. Perhaps he was at university, or maybe he had already found a job… Was he married, dating? Arthur imagined his other half would be tall, probably blonde, like him, and curvy. And she would be beautiful, no doubt. Alfred had been a cute child, and after meeting his parents a few days after the tree incident, Arthur could predict that the boy had become an attractive man. He sighed, pouring his tea and stirring it, before making himself a small bowl of cereal and heading into his study. He sat down in front of his computer and scanned the scrawled notes that passed as his assignment – his boss had appalling handwriting – before finding his eyes drawn to the smiling photographs that took up a corner of his crowded desk. Predominantly, they were of his family – four brothers and a sister, plus his proud parents – and himself, but right at the front stood a photo of a trio of beaming blondes, Arthur standing head-and-shoulders taller than the six-year-old twins on either side of him. He touched Alfred's childish face, uncertainly, then frowned and turned back to his work, sipping at his tea.

"You're being bloody stupid, Arthur." He scolded himself. "It was three weeks, over thirteen years ago. The boy will have forgotten you by now." But he couldn't help his eyes darting back to the photo every now and again, as he worked.

Because, though he refused to admit it to himself, Arthur had fallen in love with that gap-toothed smiling boy, all those years ago, a childhood crush that had matured into sincere infatuation as time had passed. And no matter who he dated, no matter where he went or what he did, he couldn't forget the innocent smile of the six-year-old who had swore he'd always be his best friend. Arthur frowned as he typed, mind wandering, though he tried to stay focused. Wandering back to _him_. He wasn't pining, of course – he _could_ move on. He'd just never wanted to. Alfred's loyalty, his affectionate nature, his gap-toothed smile… Even thirteen years on, Arthur found himself comparing every potential friend or lover to the self-proclaimed hero who'd 'rescued' a strange ten-year-old, stuck in a tree with only a fairy to blame. He groaned and dropped his head onto the keyboard, the force sending a line of random letters across his screen, finally settling on one letter which repeated itself for several lines, before Arthur sat up again, scolding himself and attempting to get back to work. He re-read what he had written; three paragraphs on some boring topic for the magazine he now worked for; a smattering of random letters, and then fourteen lines of 'y's.

"Why indeed." Arthur murmured to himself, taking another sip of tea and giving up on writing for a moment. He stared, instead, at that photo. "I hope you're happy, Alfred." He scowled. "You've certainly made me keep my bloody promises."

**[A/N: Okay. So. I decided I /will/ continue with this, just cos I think it's super cute~! So here you go. For some reason, I think this one's gonna cause some controversy… I don't know why. It's rather nice, actually. Basically pure fluff. I just don't know what I'm going to do with it yet…**

**Also, if anyone gets the title, I will actually love you forever… And maybe take a request, just 'cos I'm bored C:**

**Enjoy!]**


	3. Chapter 3

"_I'll be your best friend forever, Arthur!" The boy beamed up at his new friend._

"_But… Alfred, I'm going home in a fortnight." Arthur explained, gently. "And I live in England… That's a long way away, kid."_

"_But you'll come back one day, right?" Alfred looked up at him, anxiously. "You'll come back and visit me?"_

"_Well… We might come back, I suppose… But… I can't promise anything, Alfred. It's all up to my parents."_

"_Can't you ask the fairies to do something?" The child pouted._

"_Well… I'll ask them to keep an eye on you, okay?" Arthur smiled. "So whenever you see one, you'll know that I'm thinking of you, and missing you."_

"_Okay!" The American was momentarily pacified, but then his face fell again. "But… What about if I stop seeing them?" Alfred asked, anxious again. "You said that most people do, when they get older…"_

"_Then I'll come back and teach you all over again, okay?" Arthur grinned, holding his younger friend's little hand. "And one day, I'll take you back to England and show you the unicorns too, okay?"_

"_Mommy says unicorns aren't real…" Alfred sniffled, climbing into the older boy's lap and clinging to him. "I don't want you to go home, Arthur!"_

"_Come on Alfred, chin up." The ten-year-old stroked his friend's soft hair, gently. "I'll come back, I promise. Even if I have to wait until I'm older, I'll come back, and I'll teach you how to see fairies, and I'll take you back home and show you unicorns, I'll prove that they're real. Don't cry, Alfred. Heroes don't cry, do they."_

"_No…" Alfred sniffed, then looked up at the English boy, blue eyes full of tears. "I'll be brave, Arthur." He smiled, weakly, then slid out of Arthur's lap again, a determined expression taking the place of his tears. "You go home, and grow up, and I will to… And one day, when we're both grown ups, you'll come back! And by that time, I'll be a real hero! And we'll be friends again. Best friends!" He smiled – beamed – and leapt to his feet. Arthur followed him into standing, a little surprised. "We'll always be best friends!" Alfred declared, and hugged the older boy tightly. "You won't forget me, right?" He asked quietly, face pressed to his friend's chest, voice muffled. Arthur smiled sadly, and hugged him back._

"_You're my best friend, Alfred… My only friend. I'll never forget you. I promise, I'll never forget you."_

"_Good." They stayed like that a moment longer, just hugging, until the six-year-old's tears had dried, and he looked up, smiling once again. "Let's go play cops and robbers!"_

"_I suppose I'm the robber again?"_

"'_Course! 'Cos I'm the hero, so I have to be the cop!"_

"_It's a policeman, Alfred…"_

**[A/N: Godwhyisthissolame? XD Ah well, I love mah fluffeh stories~**

**Exams now. Hiding. Kthnx.]**


	4. Chapter 4

"And this is the main office of the CEO…" The guide was droning on about something, and Arthur knew he really should have been paying attention, but something felt off. He was visiting a new state-of-the-art bank, preparing himself to write an article on it for the magazine, but he was uneasy; he had a feeling that something was going to go wrong. He glanced around surreptitiously for any magical creatures – they sometimes liked to cause trouble – but he couldn't see any. He frowned and forced his concentration back onto the guide. "The high-tech surveillance cameras allow us to see everything that happens in the building at any one time. Now if you'll follow me to the vaults…" Absentmindedly, Arthur trailed after the guide as they headed into an elevator. He was still looking around for any magical activity, the uneasy feeling having not subsided. "The vaults are actually situated on the top floor to allow for…" They stepped out of the lift, and Arthur nodded, taking notes. "The door is automatically locking and will close after one person has stepped in, so you go first. Please be careful, there's a trapdoor through which valuables can be transported down to the counting rooms to save someone having to travel up stairs to check on their possessions, which of course means that no unauthorised persons would be able to access the vaults…" The door swung open, and Arthur stepped in, avoiding the hole in the floor, through which a strong chain on a pulley descended. The door clanged shut after him, the locks sounding with a definite click. A keypad on the wall glowed, letting him know he'd have to know a specific code to be able to exit. He eyed the trapdoor, evaluating it. It was small, so most people probably wouldn't be able to get through, but he himself wasn't large… If a team of thieves were to somehow access the counting rooms below, a smaller member would be able to hoist themselves through, take what they wanted, and leave again, without ever using the thick, well-protected doors. He smirked, and turned to look at his guide, intent on asking what measures they had against that kind of plan. The guide was staring at him, stricken, through the glass.

"What's the matter?" Arthur called, frowning. The guide shook his head, and pressed down a button. A shrill, beeping alarm filled the room.

"It's a fire alarm, Mr. Kirkland. I'm sorry, but the doors automatically lock themselves when the alarm goes off, in case it's been set off by thieves. I'll have to go get the override code, I'm afraid I don't know it!" Arthur shook his head.

"Get yourself out. This room is fireproof, I take it? It's probably just a false alarm, and if it's not, the firemen will deal with it. I'll be fine." He smiled reassuringly, and the guide looked at him for a long moment, then fled. Arthur's smile warped into a grim one, and he sat down. He'd not missed the photos of a smiling woman with two tiny babies in her arms, an older child sat on her knee, that had been placed lovingly on the desk of the guide as he'd come in. The man had a family to think of. Arthur had a family too, but not children. Not newborn babies. If something happened to him, his family would mourn, of course, but they would move on. His mother had four other sons, plus his sister, that she would dote on in his place. That woman only had one husband; those children only one father. And Arthur always had his magic, after all. He leant back against the wall, and stared at the doors, waiting for rescue, or for the blaring alarm to be turned off.

It didn't. It continued, seeming to get even louder, and Arthur frowned. Then, the first scent of smoke reached him, and he tensed, standing again, and looking around… Then down. Smoke started billowing through the hole in the floor, and Arthur cursed, reaching into his pocket for a pencil and attempting to draw a hasty magic circle on the floor as the smoke poured in, quickly filling the unventilated space. He coughed and fought to remember the sign for protection, his eyes watering.

"Moron." He cursed to himself, adding more runes as his eyes started streaming with tears. He squatted, keeping his head low to the ground and trying to remember a spell to clear the air. "Shit shit shit buggering bollocking wanking FUCK." He muttered angrily as the lead on his pencil broke. He sighed and lay back. "Oh well. Better me than him, I suppose." He looked around hopefully for any sign of one of his magical friends coming to assist him, but there was none. For some reason, the voice of that tiny fairy echoed through his mind.

"_Help is on its way, Arthur."_

"Well Help'd better bring a flipping ladder." He smiled to himself, closing his eyes against the smoke.

"Hey!" Arthur's eyes flew open, and he sat up. Was he hearing things? "Hey, sir?" No. He crawled over to the hole in the floor, and peered down, squinting his eyes against the thick smoke. A figure – a man from the voice – looked up at him, face obscured by breathing apparatus. A fireman. "There you are! Great! Mr. Holmes said you were trapped up there! Can you get down using the chain? It's about to get dangerous up there!"

"And it's less dangerous down there?" Arthur asked, sceptically, but reached out to grab the chain anyway. Then pulled back, swearing. "Fuck! No, it's too bloody hot!" He yelled down.

"Then you're going to have to jump, sir! But don't worry, I'll catch you."

"Are you sure?" Arthur looked down nervously at what he could see of the room below through the smoke, then coughed as he got a face-full of the tainted air.

"Trust me, I'll catch you. You need to get out of there, sir!"

"Well you'd better bloody catch me, is all!" There was a pause.

"I will, I will! Relax!" Arthur stared for a moment, trying to see the face of his rescuer through the smoke and the mask. He thought he caught a hint of blue eyes, but couldn't be sure. He turned, wriggling his legs through the hole, trying not to touch the hot metal chain. He eased himself backwards, clinging tightly with his fingertips, closed his eyes tight, and dropped. "See, I told you I'd catch you!" Arthur opened his eyes as far as he dared in the smoke, thicker down here than in the vault, feeling the strong arms holding him up. He squinted at the man's face.

"A-alfred?" He asked, hesitantly. The firefighter chuckled.

"Fancy meeting you here, Arthur Kirkland." Arthur wished he could see the smile that was hinted at by Alfred's eyes. "Come on, let's get you out of here. You're the last one." Arthur yelped as he found himself slung over into a fireman's carry, and hung there.

"I can walk, Alfred." He complained.

"The smoke's thicker outside, and I don't have spare breathing apparatus." Alfred explained. "So just stay there until we're outside, okay? Then we'll get this fire out, and we can catch up." Arthur sighed, resigning himself to the undignified position as Alfred's long legs carried them quickly towards the exit. It wasn't exactly how he'd imagined meeting his childhood friend again, but either way, Arthur was glad to see him… Made even more glad by the fact that he was being rescued. Alfred broke free of the burning building and lowered his passenger carefully to his feet, then removed his breathing apparatus. Arthur stared at his old friend's face hungrily, wanting to know how the boy had changed over the years. Alfred was taller than him now, by at least a head, and muscular, but still slim. The blonde hair with the determined cowlick was the same, if a little shorter. The blue eyes, too, remained as Arthur remembered, though the American now wore glasses. Alfred's face was older, but still retained an air of childishness.

And his smile. Oh, his smile. It was still that beaming, radiant innocence that never failed to make Arthur smile in return. His teeth had been replaced, of course, but that was fine. Arthur felt his shoulders relax as tensions he didn't even know he'd felt slid away. "There we go!" Alfred laughed. "Seems I saved you again, huh?"

"Indeed." Arthur replied, dryly. "I'm starting to feel like I should return the favour."

"I told ya I'd become a real hero, didn't I?" Alfred stared back at him, as if not believing he was truly there. "What're you doing back here, Arthur?"

"I made a promise, didn't I?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. Alfred opened his mouth to reply, but the paramedics who had been fussing over the other evacuees had finally noticed there was another and bustled over to him, leading him away to be checked over. Alfred stared after him, mouthed: 'Wait for me' and, upon seeing Arthur's nod, turned and jogged over to help his team put out the blaze.

**[A/N: Well C: Exams are almost over. Only two more left… So have another chapter of this… This… Whatever it is… **

**Anyone waiting on Billion Dollar Ladies, I'm working on the next chapter now C: **

**Also, there still hasn't been anyone who's got the pun in the title… I will actually love whoever does forever T_T**

**Buhbye!]**


	5. Chapter 5

"So what are you really doing back here after all these years?" The American watched his old friend curiously, waiting for a response. The fire had finally been put out, and the two allowed to go home. They were heading back to Alfred's apartment to shower and change – the younger man refused to let Arthur out of his sight, eager to get reacquainted.

"I told you. I made you a promise, and I kept it." Arthur smiled, amused. Alfred laughed.

"C'mon, that was thirteen years ago! I didn't expect you to remember me!"

Arthur looked away, blushing. "I believe I also promised I'd never forget you, Alfred." He replied, as the younger man turned a corner.

"But I was six, and you were ten! I didn't expect you to take the words of a kid seriously!" Alfred held open the door, and Arthur nodded politely as he stepped through. The taller man followed him. "I mean, this was back when you still believed in fairies!" Arthur turned to face him; arms folded and frowning.

"But fairies are real, Alfred. You… You used to be able to see them too…"

"I was a kid, Arthur! And all of a sudden, this cool big boy comes out of nowhere, and he wants to be my friend…" Alfred shrugged. "I would've believed anything for you." Arthur blushed a little at that.

"They're real, Alfred. I don't know why you can't see them anymore, when I can, but…" He smiled as the American headed over to the lift, pressing the button to call it. "If I recall, I also promised you I'd re-teach you how to see them when you forgot."

"Yeah, but c'mon Artie. They're not real…" Alfred laughed nervously, wondering if the fierce, brave boy he remembered had cracked completely. Arthur sighed, stepping up next to him as they waited for the elevator.

"If you maintain that view, lad, you'll never see them again."

"Arthur…" He began, hesitantly, adjusting his glasses. Arthur just sighed again, and shook his head.

"Never mind then, lad. Can't be helped." He smiled reassuringly. "Most people already think I'm a raving nutter, you're free to join them." He glanced away, missing the huge grin that spread across Alfred's face.

"Nah, it's cute!" The American laughed. "That kind of innocence… Reminds me of being a kid, yanno?" He laughed again and dragged Arthur into the elevator.

"You're still a child, Alfred." Arthur replied, dryly. "Mentally, if not physically."

"Funny, that's what my bro says all the time!"

"How is Matthew, anyway?" Arthur asked as they arrived on Alfred's floor, smiling affectionately as he thought of Alfred's adorable younger brother. He missed the strange look Alfred gave him, but not the curtness in his tone when he replied.

"Mattie's fine. He's in med school. Just got himself a new boyfriend."

"Oh really?" Arthur asked, confused by Alfred's sudden mood swing. "What's he like?" Alfred stopped outside his apartment and unlocked the door, stepping inside, before he answered.

"Some huge Russian guy." He snorted. "He was dating the guy – Ivan, he's called – Ivan's sister before… Stunning chick. Sweetest, kindest girl you can imagine, really pretty, huge rack… And then he ditches her for her creepy psycho brother." Arthur felt his heart fall a little. It sounded almost like…

"And you disapprove of your brother's choice in lover?" He asked as he removed his shoes and jacket.

"I guess… It's just… Ugh." Alfred kicked his own trainers off and shed his sweat-soaked T-shirt, heading into the apartment. Arthur, blushing deeply but unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of a shirtless Alfred, followed. "She was an angel, yanno? Like, perfect for him. And he chose this stupid, sadistic commie over her!" Alfred shrugged. "I mean, if it was a guy he was after, there are a bunch at my work and at his school who would be way better for him than _Ivan_." Arthur smiled a little.

"So it's not the fact that it's a man that bothers you, just the fact that it's _that_ man."

Alfred turned to him, and Arthur had to battle to keep his eyes on the younger man's face. "Aw hell naw, that doesn't bother me at all! How could it when-" He cut off abruptly, blushing. Arthur's smile widened, just a tiny bit, and he smirked knowingly.

"You too, then?" He laughed, chest going tight as he feigned nonchalance for his next question. "So what about you, Alfred? Do you have a significant other?"

"Nope." Alfred replied abruptly, turning away. "I'll take the shower first." He muttered, heading through a door that evidently led to the bathroom. Arthur raised an eyebrow, frowning.

"Strange…"

**[A/N: Oh, hey, look, I'm not dead! **

**Heh heh… School is harder than I thought it would be… And I have somehow managed to lose all enthusiasm for USUK recently OTL**

**Please be patient with me! I adore you all…!]**


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